As we come to the end of a year, it is good for us to examine our lives and see how it has gone

The prophet Haggai exhorted the people in his time to "consider their ways"

It is written in Haggai 1:5,6: Now therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts, "Consider your ways. You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes."

We can apply the above questions to ourselves like this: The Lord challenges us saying, "Consider how things have been going in your life.

Has there been spiritual fruitfulness? You have planted much, but have harvested little. You have gone to many meetings, read many Christian books and listened to many Christian tapes, but is your home a godly home and a home of peace today?

Have you overcome even a simple thing like shouting at your wife/husband? If not, then although you have sown much, you have harvested little. You wear clothing, but you are still not warm. You earn so much money, but there are holes in your pocket and so most of it is wasted.

You ask God to fill you with the Spirit, but you leak, and so all the power goes out. Something is wrong." Who will pour water into a vessel that has holes in it? Many believers, who come to God asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, are vessels full of holes. God says, "Close up the holes first." God is eager to fill you with His Holy Spirit, but there are things in your life that need to be set right first. You won't put money into a pocket that has holes in it. Neither will God fill with His Spirit those who have leaky areas in their life. They have not apologised to somebody they wronged, they have not returned money they took wrongfully, etc. These are major holes. With such gaping holes in your life, it is no use praying all night to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Nothing will happen. Instead, spend all night fixing those holes. Then the answer will come quickly

There are millions of Christians today who seek their own interests and their family's interests first - and not the Lord's. They would be gravely concerned if their own property was encroached upon by a neighbour, but they are not one bit concerned when the Lord's property is encroached upon by Satan. Jesus told us that if we sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, everything necessary for our life on earth would be added to us. We won't have to go seeking for them. If we take care of God's family, He will take care of ours. We must be living demonstrations to an unbelieving world that because we honoured God, He has honoured us; that because we took care of God's family, He took care of ours. Is your life a testimony to these?

One of Haggai's major themes is: "Consider your ways".